THE LEFT PERIPHERY IN MODERN STANDARD ARABIC (MSA): AL-ISHTIGHAL CONSTRUCTION
Sabri Alshboul
Department of English Language, Literaturę and Cultural Studies Hashemite University, Zarqa, JordanYousef Al-Shaboul
Department of English Language, Literaturę and Cultural Studies Hashemite University, Zarqa, JordanSahail M. Asassfeh
Department of English Language, Literaturę and Cultural Studies Hashemite University, Zarqa, JordanAbstract
This paper is trying to investigate the interaetion between case checking and the thematie roles of the DP in al-Ishtighal (verbal occupation) construction in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA). Standard Arabic belongs to the group of VSO languages which also allow SVO as an alternative order in finite clauses. Yet, Arabic possesses a rich case morphology that is able to mark the thematic roles of the DPs in the clause. This research provides evidence that there are differences between left-dislocation and the verbal occupation construction (Ishtighal) despite of their structural similarity. These differences show that verbal occupation construction in MSA has the tendency to behave as topicalization where the fronted DP possesses the focus characteristics. Further, it has been shown that the multi-foci tendency is valid in such constructions like verbal occupation.
Keywords:
verbal occupation, topic, topicalization, focus, left peripheryReferences
Bakir, M. (1979). Aspects of Clause Structure in Arabie: A study in Word Order Variation in Literary Arabie. Bloomington/Indiana, Indiana University Linguistics Club.
Chomsky, N. (1986). Barriers. Cambridge/Mass., MIT Press.
Cinque, G. (1990). Types of A-bar Dependency. Cambridge/Mass., MIT Press.
Farghal, M. (1986). The Syntax of WH-Questions and Related Matters in Arabie. Ph.D. disserta- tion. Bloomington, Indiana University.
Fassi Fehri, A. (1993). Issues in the Structure of Arabie Clauses and Words. Dordrecht, Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Johnson, P.A. (1998). The Refutation of the Grammarians by Ibn Mada’Al-Qurtubi. A Transla- tion, with Syntactic Analysis of "BAB AL-ISHTIGHAL” Arabie, Syntax. Ph.D. dissertation. The University of Arizona.
Mohammad, A. Mohammad (2000). Word Order, Agreement and Pronominalization in Standard Palestinian Arabie. Amsterdam, John Benjamins Publishing Company.
Ouhalla, J. (1999). Focus and Arabie Clefts. In: G. Rebuschi, L. Tuller (eds.). The Grammar of Focus. Amsterdam, John Benjamins, 335-359.
Rizzi, L. (1997). The Fine Structure of the Left Periphery. In: L. Haegeman (ed.). Elements of Grammar: Handbook in Generative Syntax. Dordrecht, Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Ross, J. (1967). Constraints on Variables in Syntax. Bloomington, Indiana University Linguistics Club.
Department of English Language, Literaturę and Cultural Studies Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan
Department of English Language, Literaturę and Cultural Studies Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan
Department of English Language, Literaturę and Cultural Studies Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan
Most read articles by the same author(s)
- Sabri Alshboul, Yousef Al Shaboul, DEFAULTNESS PATTERNS: A DIACHRONIC ACCOUNT , Acta Neophilologica: No. XII (2010): Acta Neophilologica
